The son of Congregational missionaries, architect Ambrose Janvier Russell was born in Trivandram, India on October 15, 1857. By age five the family had returned to their native Scotland and Russell was primarily raised in Glasgow. He received his formal architectural training at the University of Glasgow (1875 to 1880) and at the Ecole des Beaux Arts (1881-1884), in Paris. While there he formed a lifelong friendship with fellow student, Bernard Maybeck.
Upon his arrival in the United States, in 1884 Russell initially moved to Boston where he took a job in the office of architect H. H. Richardson, whom was just begining his own architectural career. After spending one year in the office, Russell opened an office with a friend in Worcester, Mass. Then after a short year, Russell moved again, this time to Kansas City, Missouri, where he joined his old boss, Maybeck, at the architectural firm of Van Brunt & Howe. After working for Van Brunt & Howe, Russell formed a brief partnership with Maybeck in Kansas City but business was slow. Maybeck decided to head for California, and Russell moved to St. Louis, Missouri.
In St. Louis he worked briefly with the architectural firm of Eames & Young but by 1892 had decided to seek new fortunes out west and moved to Tacoma. Initially, Russell worked for the Cottage Home Building Company as its Architectural Department Manager. His known designs are lmited and include the 1892 Shingle style Smith-Stewart House (4305 N. 42nd). By 1893 Russell had his first independent commission, the Davie House (423 N. Sheridan), and decided to form a partnership with Portland, Oregon transplant Albert Sutton. The partnership lasted two years after which Sutton moved to San Francisco.
Russell then formed yet another partnership, this time with George W. White in 1899. This was followed by another partnership with architect A. Walter Spalding the next year. Frederick Heath joined the firm in 1901. Spalding left the partnership in 1902, and Russell and Heath continued as a firm for another year until 1903. In 1905, Russell promoted his former draftsman, Everett Babcock, to partner. Together they produced a significant number of commercial, religious and residential properties in Tacoma. Notable work includes the Woodstock Apartments (1905); the Snyder House (1905); the Pickerill House (1906); the National Guard Armory (1908); and the Governor’s Mansion (1909) in Olympia. As the firm grew they opened branch offices in Seattle (with Walter E. Rice) and in Vancouver, B.C. In 1912, they closed their Tacoma and Seattle offices with hopes of developing their Vancouver business, but after one large commission, the Weart Building (1912-14), their business failed to take off. Russell returned to Tacoma in 1915 and started an independent practice.
In 1930 he formed yet another partnership, this time with Gaston Lance. They were joined briefly by A. Gordon Lumm (1931-32) and in 1936 took on a new partner Irwin Muri. Russell, who reportedly worked until the day he died, passed away in Tacoma on March 16, 1938.
By Michael Houser, State Architectural Historian - Nov. 2011
